Master Teague and CJ Walker have grown into leadership roles on their respective teams, and now they'll be representing their fellow athletes.
The running back and point guard were among the 22 Buckeyes chosen by head coaches and sport administrators to serve on the Ohio State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for 2020-21, the school announced on Thursday.
Joining Teague and Walker on the committee will be Mackenzie Allessie (field hockey), Aziza Ayoub (women's track and field), Channing Chasten (men's soccer), Elexis Edwards (women's gymnastics), Lindsay Epstein (women’s lacrosse), Brandon Fisher (men's lacrosse), Jack Good (men's cross country), Mia Grunze (women's volleyball), Meghan Kammerdeiner (women's soccer), Cannon Kingsley (men's tennis), Grace Libben (rowing), Emma Maltais (women's hockey), Myles Marshall (men's track and field), Parker Mikesch (men's volleyball), Austin Pooley (men's hockey), Spencer Sansom (softball), Jacy Sheldon (women’s basketball), Griffin Smith (baseball), Kalee Soehnlen (women’s cross country) and Zach Steiner (wrestling).
“These leaders serve as the voice of our student-athletes,” Gene Smith said in a statement. “Their feedback is extremely important to our department, university and college athletics.”
Together, per a press release, they're tasked with five tasks:
- Provide advice and guidance to athletic administrators
- Solicit student-athlete response to proposed NCAA legislation
- Suggest potential NCAA legislation
- Create a vehicle for student-athlete representation on campus-wide or conference-wide committees
- Act as a liaison between student-athletes, faculty, administrators and staff
This has the potential to be a particularly important year for the committee, given the coronavirus pandemic along with the shifting landscape of college sports, which has seen athletic departments forced to cut costs. The NCAA is also expected to pass name, image and likeness reform at some point within the year.
Teague, Walker and the 20 other Ohio State athletes should now have their voices better heard by those in power in the athletic department.
